"A Brief History Of The Beach Boys"

The Beach Boys truly hit their stride with the release of "Kokomo," in 1988. It confirmed how, really, all of Pet Sounds was just growing pains -- most of it missing the mark, sonically -- and how their early "surf" rock era was misguided. Brian Wilson, the band's leader, is at his best on "Kokomo." The smooth Caribbean sound he carves out owes a lot to mentor Billy Ocean, but what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in catchiness.

The song was also featured in the film "Cocktail," an artistic landmark in its own right, and remained at No. 1 for thirty-seven weeks.